The New Normal Yanked From NBC's Utah Affiliate Lineup

NBC’s Utah affiliate KSL-TV is sticking with its old normal this fall and refusing to air Ryan Murphy’s new gay-dads-and-their-surrogate comedy The New Normal.

“From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another,” Jeff Simpson, CEO of KSL’s parent company, Bonneville International, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive.”

KSL, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, last season declined to air NBC’s The Playboy Club on similar grounds.

It is so embarrassing to live here! You’re right, not everyone is a bigot, but when things like this happen, it sure feels like it. Those homophobic, bigoted, hypocritical morons who run KSL make us all look bad. So depressing and infuriating!

It’s a sad decision, surely. One that I think may also be influenced by Andrew Rannells stint in “The Book of Mormon.” Thankfully, NBC is great about making their shows available online, so you can still watch it that way should you choose to do so.

I live in Utah, and I really didn’t care when they chose not to show The Playboy Club, and I admit I had no plans to watch The New Normal either, but this is really quite horrifying because I know Bonneville’s decision to do this was based on not wanting to promote the idea of homosexuals as being parents and spouses. The LDS church and its members are very homophobic and they are all scared to death that gay marriage will be made legal. There is even a law here that single people can’t adopt kids because they are so terrified if they allowed that, gay people would start adopting. I even know of fertility doctors who refuse to help get single women pregnant because in their words “the family is so important, there must be a mother AND father to every family.” There’s so much I want to say on this topic, but I can’t. I’m just too embarrassed for my state, its citizens, its corporations, and most of all, the church that I grew up in. I apologize to the world on behalf of them. I know they don’t want me apologizing for them because they feel like they’ve done nothing wrong, but I’m apologizing anyway.

First of all no one should treat the ABOVE ^ comments as fact because they are mostly false or inaccurate. There is NO LAW in any state that prohibits singles from adopting a child. Yes some adoption agency’s are far more willing to allow a married couple to adopt a child versus a single person but that exists in ALL states and for good reason. You sound like an ass when you try and speak for everyone in the state of Utah or for a Church that you obviously don’t understand. My suggestion: Get your facts straight because your making yourself look like an idiot. If anything you should be embarrassed of yourself and that tiny ignorant mind of yours. Maybe you should try apologizing to the world for talking out of your butt. Actually no I will apologize for you: Dear World I apologize on behalf of the obtuse individual who attempted to speak for everyone in the state of Utah, yes we all know they are lacking productive brain power.

@ “G” — You’re the one sounding like ass, defending weak individuals who are afraid homosexuality is going to spread onto them like the common cold and infect them and make them gay. Refusing to air a TV show which portrays a realistic aspect of life, and the show may be deemed “unconventional”, but I think the title speaks for itself. It’s part of the New Normal. Gay people have kids, and raise them. It happens. The hell does it matter to you either way? That’s what I don’t understand. You want to try to ignore and act like “this isn’t happening”? That’s so stupid. But hey, it is just my opinion, right? Actions speak louder than words, and KSL’s decision not to air this is clearly in the PREJUDICED CATEGORY. So defend them all you like, but just remember, you’re singling a group of people out because of their lifestyle and beliefs. That makes you, by definition a prejudiced individual, or in the technical terms of society; an asshole. kthxbye.

Does this not make you a bigot by definition? So because the church and it’s affiliates don’t believe in gay marriage it makes them bigots, so you saying that they are wrong in their beliefs by definition makes you a bigot! People are entitled to their own opinions, whether you like it or not! People can be gay all they want, it’s their choice! Go ahead! But don’t be a bigot towards those that don’t believe in it!!!!

Definition of BIGOT: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

When the belief is based in faith and not in evidence and the people of that faith work proactively to deny other people rights…yes, they are bigots. I’m an atheist, but I don’t question others as to why they believe in God and fight for rules and laws that would deny the believers of their rights to practice religion or to proselytize or to do anything else in life that is in accordance with their freedom and rights.. And my belief in no God is as substantial as anyone’s belief in a God…neither can be proven, 100 percent.

Britta, I agree. I left the theocratic state of Utah one month after my eighteenth birthday almost thirty years ago because of crap like this. I see they haven’t evolved a bit. In my opinion, NBC should yank KSL/Bonneville’s affiliate status and set up a new affiliate channel not owned by by the second most hateful bigoted homophobic religion on the planet. I’m still waiting for the IRS to cancel that religion’s tax exempt status for violating the law when it came to the religion encouraging it’s members to financially support California’s prop. Hate (8). I’m not holding my breath.

im embarrassed to be from utah…go figure…god-forbid that a gay couple be in a tv show…i say they just move it to ABC since they play modern family there. i seriously hate homophobic jerks like those here in utah. just pisses me off.

I grew up in a big LDS community (Mesa, Az), so I don’t find this at all surprising. All religions have heavy doses of hypocrisy and non-sense. LDS is no different. They want it their way and that is that, even though they couldn’t defend the position in any rational discussion.

I’m not Christian, tho I support the LDS position to refuse to broadcast the show, presumedly for its positive portrayal of gay life. The rest of the comments here are vitriolic and unreasonable. You, at least, open an avenue for a reasoned argument. How would you begin to attack their actions or position with a reasoned argument, in a rational discussion?

I don’t think you can. I completely respect their right to choose whether or not to air this or not, but their position doesn’t quite hold up in comparison to what they already do air. I just am just thankful that I don’t live in a place where a religious group can apparently dictate things like this. Freedom of Religion cannot exist without Freedom FROM Religion and that is where I am having an issue with this entire thing.

What do they air that makes this denial a contradiction? I don’t know. Maybe that is a big hole in their position. Is your argument against their position or their action a demand for consistency? That’s not very strong. Don’t all the cop shows and so forth portray violence as bad, as injustice that gets punished? What about sex? Do shows they air portray extra-marital sex as good or worthy? Even if they air some that do, that’s not necessarily inconsistent with their anti-gay stance.

You’re quite right that freedom to worship allows one to not worship, but they own the business, so they are merely exercising their economic right of ownership. They certainly aren’t dictating a course of worship. They will be sanctioned, in either sense of the word, in the marketplace, by the people they serve or by NBC, their supplier.

But bgk – they have an exclusive right to air the NBC product in their area, and this is network (free-over-the-air) TV, not cable. By doing this, they are enforcing their religious views on everyone in the region they service, thus violating several American rights. This Christian privlege has gone on too long. No one is interested in changing their minds or their beliefs, but their actions cannot infringe on other people’s rights or cause them harm.

Once again Temperance doesn’t realize that this station has done this multiple times in the past and NBC doesn’t care. She also has no clue that this doesn’t violate any Federal, State, or Local laws. TV is not a civil right lol. I’m willing to bet 99% of the people that are griping about this are not even affected by it. Unless this site has above average Salt Lake City traffic lol.

Temperance: They are not denying anyone the right to worship as they please. What other rights are at issue here? They are infringing on no one’s rights. Moreover, their right to use that bandwidth to broadcast NBC shows on those frequencies doesn’t specify what motives they may or may not have in deciding what to air.

Are you suggesting their use of their power is unfair, immoral or unethical?

I was clear on that – the station owners are making choices for their viewing area. This isn’t cable – it’s free-for-air network TV (which is distinct) and they have a exclusive geographic lock on the NBC broadcast in the area. And, yes, it’s plainly evident that their actions is unfair, immoral and unethical.

@bgk I know that they show all of the Law and Order shows and The Apprentice, I can’t imagine the language or themes could be any worse. Like I said, fine with their decision, but don’t think their reasons are holding up all that well.

Damien, evidently, LDS will put up with some objectionable content but not with other. LDS is particularly antagonistic to homosexuality, so, they don’t give any quarter to a show like the one at issue. I agree with you, if they were entirely consistent, they would deliver nothing that would make the world worse.

That sort of perfection, however, is not pragmatic: In order to be pure, you’d have to remove yourself from the world. How then could they ever even run a business and earn money, much less make political donations or control a TV affiliate? In order to affect the world, you’d have to wade into the mud. This is part of the dissonance, the privation of the good, that’s part of our world, part of our consciousness.

See my comments further on, with which I try to argue to justify an anti-gay position. That was what I wanted to try to get to in participating here, and Temperance, I think, is ready to take it up. I still have a little energy and time left to continue with this…

Apparently you don’t realize that private companies like TV stations have the right to purchase and show content allowed by the FCC and have the right NOT to purchase something as well. NBC has the right to sell their product to other affiliates in that market and if there is a buyer there will be a buyer. But no private company should be FORCED to buy something they don’t want. That shouldn’t be that big a concept to understand. Someone please forward Ellen Barkin a brain, apparently it was removed during her botched facelift. And please, I’m curious, for those that took an opposing view…what part of that don’t you get (no fair lying)? Private companies are like private individuals. How would you like it if someone made you buy something you didn’t want? How would you like it if you owned a business and you were forced to sell something you didn’t want to sell? You should be more disappointed in yourself for not realizing this basic freedom that protects you as well.

Yeah, more Orwellian double speak. I’d suggest that you review the definition of bigotry, then your copy of the Constitution. I’ll refer you to the parts where it rather clearly insists that you keep the ravings of your Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky off people that perfer the Squidy Octopus From Mars or the Great Con-man From Utah.

Ellen Barkin is right, they have no issue airing shows that has rape and child murder on it but a show with a gay couple offends them? So they are not offended by rape or murder, that is ok in their books, maybe they would let the show air if the gay people were being raped or murdered.

It’s not bigotry to point out the bigotry of others. The left isn’t the group trying to deny people their civil rights, so this claim is always incredibly disanalogous and is usually an attempt to rationalize being a terrible person.

Precisely. And in this case, the station owners are trampling on both the freedom of speech and the freedom (from) religion – in order to force other people into complying with their personal (inane) religious views.

It’s bigotry to insist that your opinion is the only right one and specifically single out religious people and demand that they change their core values or else. In fact, all the people in this thread acting like they are better than everyone who thinks homosexuality is wrong are nothing more than bigots themselves. There can be two sides to an argument without the name calling, but hey that’s what liberals do best.

My brain apparently functions much better than yours since I know they aren’t violating any laws, freedom of speech does not apply to you “right” to watch TV, and there is no such thing as freedom from religion. That is something a group of nutcase atheists in Wisconsin came up with. We have Freedom of Religion in this country, as much as you don’t like it. You intolerance of the religious makes you a bigot as well.

There certainly is – the choice of having no religion is legally equivalent to the choice of having one. Secondly, my argument works perfectly well for all the many religions that have no problems with homosexuals (in this instance). the principel is universal, no specific: ‘Christians’ don’t have the right to dictate choices to other groups based on their religious beliefs. It’s perfectly simple – and trust me, you’d be mad as hell if another group (say Muslims) was doing the same thing to you.

There are plenty of crude and violent programs being aired on NBC that don’t send up red flags with the people behind this Utah channel. They are doing it because they are homophobic, not because of the dialoge. The only bigots in this situation are the homophobic ones. Don’t be so ignorant.

Who needs assumption – we witness this every day by a large majority (but certainly not all!). It is a core Christian philosophy that is used to damage other groups (homosexuals are most heinoutly abused), and has been for two millenia. We see it CONSTANTLY, many experience prejudice and bigotry CONSTANTLY.

Because said station will air his show despite his being a complete douche who think it’s funny to joke about people who just died but they won’t air a show about a loving gay couple? Not to mention a series about a cannibal? Cannibals are okay but gay people aren’t? Context, is all.

He’s saying that the world should find crude jokes about a tragic mass murder (the ones Dane Cook made) more offensive than a happy same-sex couple. In promoting Dane Cook and the jokes he made, Slezak is making the point that they have no problem supporting offensive content or offensive related content, they just literally targeted one topic. I know Cook made a tasteless mistake but it was just more evidence in proving the networks bigotry.

The state didn’t ban anything. An affiliate to a private corporation isn’t going to air it. Write to NBC to complain instead of trying to drag the government in to fight your stupid battle. It’s just as backward to insist that your opinion is the only valid one and therefore everyone else has to do as you say.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I find it irrelevant that you mention KSL is owned by them. It wasn’t mentioned last year in the article highlighting that they wouldn’t air The Playboy Club, but now that a presidential candidate is Mormon and a vague link could be made to him being against such a program, I feel like that is the only reason you could possibly have to mention it.
I enjoyed The Playboy Club and look forward to watching The New Normal. Just because KSL may be owned by the organization it doesn’t mean all Latter-Day Saints share the same view as KSL executives, unlike you’ve implied.

It’s completely relevant considering their affiliation with your church is the reason they aren’t airing it. They may not share your personal views but I’m damn sure willing to bet they’ll hide behind your church as an excuse for their bigotry.

Let us not forget that the LDS Church provided the bulk of the funding to get Proposition H8 passed. It’s obvious that the LDS Church has now entered the area of being a Political Organization. It’s time to start taxing them as such.

exactly the point i was about to make. as soon as they entered the political arena against the rights of the gay community it became absolutely relevant that someone associated with the church banned airing a show about a gay couple. no one is saying all members of the church of lds are homophobic but there is a pattern emerging that is worth noting.

You are exactly right! As a frequent visitor to this area I find it very disturbing to watch the news on this channel and see the influence of the church. So I turn the channel. I know not to watch channel 5 in SLC.

I don’t consider myself a bigot, but I’m really curious. As one of many of the church, do you wear underwear with magic symbols on it that protect you from harm? I’m wondering if this is an all-inclusive thing or only for the extremely devout.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I find it completely relevant to mention that Bonneville is owned by the LDS church. This decision to ban the show came down from high-ranking officials in the church, make no mistake. They do not want shows on the network they own portraying homosexuals in any kind of favorable light, because that might make people feel like they’re not such bad people and should be allowed to marry and adopt kids. The church has a very pro stance on the traditional two parent, male/female family, they have made no secret about that. They say they believe in people’s ability to make their own life choices, and the ability to have that freedom is what brought us to earth, but they don’t really practice that belief, do they? Nope, not with their “gay people can’t marry, gay people can’t adopt kids, people can’t watch shows about gay people” attitudes. No free choice in this church. I am extremely ashamed of their behavior. I believe what the church has become today is not what Christ wanted for his followers, and every day this kind of news comes out about the church, I start to question my position with them more and more.

So what you’re saying is that “[a]s a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, you have the right to speak for everyone collectively as well as accuse “high-ranking officials?” It is the misinformation that you are giving above that gives people the wrong idea about the LDS church. If you question your position with them, that’s your choice, but you don’t need to advertise it with accusations and things that are false for everyone else to see. You are definitely entitled to your opinion and that is definitely a right you have, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t speak false things about what I believe, nor speak for me. This is not a forum for you to decided whether or not you want to be LDS.
As far as the issue goes, the affiliate has every right to say ‘no’ to something they don’t want to air just as much as a company can choose what hours they want to be open or what they want to sell or not sell. The reasoning behind it might not coincide with your, mine, or anyone else’s beliefs, but that is a right they have and a right you have. If that is something you don’t like, you can choose to watch the show elsewhere or not support the company at all. Do not, however, claim that because this station is owned by the LDS church everyone who is LDS must feel the same negative way towards gay people.

Its relevant in the sense that, generally, stations that AREN’T owned by religious affiliates aren’t withholding programs. And it is Slezak’s job to report on things, including what the networks reasoning behind not airing this show might be. And sadly, it does look like blatant homophobia in this case…their decision to use language and thematic references seems far-fetched considering the other programs that they do air.

Precisely. It’s all about the overstepping of religious groups, and trying to foist their views on others. In this case, the line is crossed when the station wants to remove the option of others to watch, especially when people of all religions can choose their own comfort level by simply not watching the program.

But you want to force your views on them by suggesting they be forced to air a show that contains material they do not agree with. NBC can find a new affiliate if it is really a problem for them. The answer is not trying to force your opinion right back on someone you feel is forcing theirs on you. It’s now wonder this idiotic country is so divided with this kind of thinking.

Not in any real sense. Being an affiliate comes with specific expectations, including exclusivity agreements which make the owner’s decisions a choice for an entire viwing population – which said owner is then violating their first and fourteenth admendment rights. The owner chose to purchase and run a business that his highly federally regulated (as free-to-air ‘public’ TV). If they owned a cable channel, the story would be different. Limiting access to network TV falls under and entirely different set of rules.

You need to research what you are trying to claim. This affiliate is not breaking any State, Federal, or even local law. You can huff and puff all you want but you do not have a legal leg to stand on. If NBC had any issue with this they would have dropped the affiliate the last 20 times they did this. You don’t seem to understand that affiliates have rights and are not just there to do the bidding of the network.

Fear is a powerful emotion and all this says to me is people are afraid. Afraid to see that gay people are just as “normal” as straight people. They don’t want to be told that because then it upsets their belief system.. It is upsetting that people act like frightened children and are afraid to have a discussion on the matter. This is definitely not the adult thing to do. I see it as a ostrich putting their head in the sand hoping everything goes away. But the only way to resolve the matter is to confront that fear and truly see things how they really are.

Censorship at its very finest.
LDS Church – Just another pathetic, desperate group of religious assholes who think their view is the only view that matters. (Prop H8, anyone?) Why not let the PEOPLE decide for themselves if they want to watch or not? Religion is killing the American Way.

Will you PLEASE stop trolling this post? You are basically just proving everybody’s point. You are also clearly confused on what a bigot is. You are not “disagreeing” with us on a political belief. When you say you are disagreeing with gay marriage, what you are doing is discriminating against gay people. That is called bigotry. When we call you a bigot, that is not bigotry.

Substitute gay marriage for interracial marriage sixty years ago. Were civil rights protestors bigots because they called out the people who “disagreed” with interracial marriage? No. They were on the side of equality.

Thank you.
MacStruts, you can be against gay marriage all you want. I strongly disagree with you, but I can’t force you to change your opinion. But that’s the thing-I’m not forcing you to accept gay marriage. I’m not forcing you to go to same-sex weddings in places where it’s legal. I’m not forcing you to watch shows that deal with such topics. And so on. Nobody is trying to alter your life or interests to fit their needs. The LDS, however, ARE forcing their beliefs on other people. They think because their religion frowns on all these things that that’s enough cause to stop other people from possibly enjoying a show (or get married, if they so please). And that’s not right, nor is it fair. So to call them bigots is actually pretty accurate and not at all hypocritical.

And for the steel beams thing, MacStruts-you mean the small group of people who tried to do that and failed, because most people, including other atheists and non-Christians, found their outcry ridiculous? I’m pretty left-leaning and I found that whole “controversy” dumb. Shocker, huh?

Knowing the station is owned by the church is very important because it shows that, where issues are in the church. Unfortunately the official stance of the church is that gays are not okay. (they still have conversion therapy there)
It just stinks because there are gay people who live in Utah, and this is just a way to marginalized them further.

Should be noted that KSL has a good track record for yanking shows that get canceled after the first few episodes (Coupling, The Playboy Club). I don’t expect this one to be any different. Because it looks terrible.

Your opinion (or anybody’s opinion) on the quality of the show is entirely irrelevant. They are not yanking this show because they think it’s badly written (which in itself would be inappropriate). They are yanking it because it normalizes a lifestyle of which they don’t approve. That’s bigotry.

Im sorry but its called freedom of speech. And for that matter, they need to remove all songs from their radio stations that involve scandalous material. They need to stop airing movies on tv with any violence or sex. They need to remove all shows that have violence and sex. This is so frustrating! Its ridiculous!

What a bunch of bigots.
And you can’t say this doesn’t have the Mormon seal of approval all over it. They pumped a TON of money into Prop H8 vote.
And we’re supposed to put a Mormon in the White House.
I don’t think so.

All the networks have a terrible show or two, but it doesn’t matter if something has questionable taste, what matters is if people want to watch it enough that advertisers will want to pay for ads. If it’s destined to fail, it should be allowed to. It should be up to the individual viewer whether or not they want to watch a show or not. It should not be up to the discretion of rogue affiliates to decide what shows should and should not be allowed to air. As if the FCC wasn’t already an issue each and every show on the broadcast networks has to deal with. If they keep this censorship up, NBC will switch to another affiliate and the LDS-owned station can die as a local independent. Despite NBC’s problems in recent years, their shows still pay the bills.

This is a false argument. The new show is about gay marriage & raising children which Mormons discriminate against.
Modern Family is not about gay marriage.
Mormons spend a lot of money fighting gay marriage all over the country.
When you say you disagree with gay marriage you are discriminating against gay people, which by the way is bigotry.
When you are called a bigot for doing that it’s not bigotry.

Considering that there is a strightforward definition of the word – that has been fulfilled – the labeling fits. There is no real way to argue that most Christian variants aren’t extremely bigoted towards homosexuals as a group, and often as individuals.

Of course, that’s absurd… usual conspeak double talk. The bottom line here is that in the US, people are not allowed (and are encreasingly going to be challenged aggressively when they try it) to foist their (usually absurd) religious views on other Americans. In this case, religious station-owners are trying to supress both free speech *and* foist their religious beliefs on other people (that’s a double bill of rights violation). The reverse is not true – no one is forcing anyone to own a TV, have it on, to watch that channel, or that program.

Oh its possible and they do. I visit there often. Surprising to me too, but I have seen and heard myself as a frequent visitor to the area. And this channel is broadcast throughout the whole state. It’s the only NBC affliate in the whole state. Scary, eh? To those that say, “well, watch it on HULU. Not everyone has that option. These are public airwaves and programming should not be directed by the whims of ANY church. If you don’t like the show, turn the channel.

And that is part of the reason why this is a problem; if this were a cable channel, then we could accurately call it bigotry, but it’s not a practical issue. Network programming affiliates often get exclusivity rights, etc., and netork V has a completely different set of rules being free-to-air. The owners here are violating no less than two parts of the bill of rights as the try to foist their religious viewpoint on over-the-air TV viewers. Taking away this show is clearly bigoted in no uncertain terms, and it’s likely to spark a legal battle at this point.

Is that a serious question? There is no law preventing a church from owning anything in this country. I don’t think the church actually owns the station anyway. I thought it was a man heavily involved in the church. That’s a big difference.

“Ellen Barkin is a left wing lying lunatic. Her comments don’t mean anything.”

So, baseless name-calling is okay, but calling out BLATANTLY HOMOPHOBIC AND BIGOTED actions isn’t? You can make outright false, accusatory comments about Ellen Barkin and feel great about it, but a clearly, and irrefutably bigoted decision to refuse to air this show based on prejudice and hate towards homosexuals riles you up?

I HAVE see this show’s pilot, and there is not a a single moment in the New Normal’s pilot episode that warrants that kind of reaction, not any offensive content whatsoever, no language or situation was something that anyone reasonable could deem inappropriate or offensive unless the idea of homosexual adoption is offensive to someone.

That wasn’t the point of the lawsuit at all – they were trying to get equal government recognition for the atheist victims of the tragedy. Losing your Christian privilege is not the same as being persecuted. People who are pushing for equal protection under the law – for equal rights – are not anti-Christian bigots; you just have a deep-seated need to be a martyr and to justify your position with some serious cognitive dissonance. Bringing up the “cross” from Ground Zero is completely irrelevant to this argument. Denying Christians the ability to force their religion on everyone else IS NOT BIGOTRY – it’s the reality of the First Amendment’s promise not to promote one religion over another.

lol, jumping to conclusions are we? I don’t care what gay people do, but others do and that is their right. It’s not illegal to dislike homosexuality, although people like you want to live in a world where people are forced by law to accept them. If you think the answer to “being bullied” is to try to become a bully yourself then you have learned absolutely nothing in life. And fyi, someone not liking you because you are homosexual is not bullying, it’s their freedom of choice not to accept your lifestyle. Get over it.

And who is assuming (badly)? I’m certainly not – I’m reading your text. And it’s impossible to bully unless you are in a position of power – which, very clearly and on all levels – fighting to keep other people’s religious idiocy out of their lives is not. YOU are promoting a bigoted position that is intruding on other people’s lives and rights. The opposition simply wants normal, everyday American rights and freedoms ina modern pluralistic society. Sorry, it’s not the dark ages, and this issue will never go away now.

God, I hate that I’m from a state that can’t show a tv show about what’s going on the world. The silly thing about Utah is that we have PRIDE weekend. We have mayor who is on the left side. I for one is is all about gay rights.

Being open-minded doesn’t mean you accept hatred, bigotry and persecution. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Brown, Mohandas K. Ghandi, those morons should have been more “open-minded” and accepted the oppression, bigotry and abuse they fought against.

That is one of my LEAST favorite arguments. “Oh, you are being close-minded about my opinion to express my racism/homophobia/sexism! This is America where we have freedom of speech!”

Well, buddy, this is also America where we have all men created equal. Where we are also allowed to completely condemn those who express prejudiced, hurtful opinions. History is going to look back at people like you just as it does on the people who supported racial segregation: close-minded and full of hate.

Exactly.
I’m also against racism. So I guess I should be open-minded to racists, ’cause, hey, it’s just their views, right? And I should be open-minded about sexist attitudes as well for the same reason?
Sorry, no. It doesn’t work that way. You are entitled to think whatever you want, say whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean you’re free from criticism of your beliefs, especially if you are treating people as less than equal based on something like their sexual orientation, their skin color, their gender, their religion, their ethnicity, etc.-that’s kind of wrong, after all. And criticizing homophobes or racists or sexists does NOT equate to outright silencing them altogether.

It has nothing to do ‘agreement’ with your religious beliefs – it’s entirely about people (Mormon station owners, in this case) foisting their views on other Americans when they already have the option of simply not watching the show. It’s an American rights issue.

I think the viewers should at least have the option to choose to watch or not watch. If I’m not interested in something, I’m not going to watch it. I’ve never heard of a tv station basically telling me the viewer- “you don’t have a choice, we’ve decided you’re not going to watch this”.
Just my two cents!

Well put. There are many shows out there that I don’t like and the occasional one that I find offensive but I simply dont watch them. I wouldn’t want even a show I hate to be taken off the air because of someone’s personal beliefs.

Not a surprise. I have family in Salt Lake City and travel there frequently. This station is partly, if not wholly owned by the Morman Church and as such, is heavily influenced by them. Commercials, programming, etc. al. So much for seperation of Chuch and State.

If the LDS-controlled station had it their way, there would be no shows featuring gays, powerful women, or smart Blacks–or possibly any Blacks, for that matter. But I find it odd that they can put on shows featuring violence and murder. That doesn’t affect their sensibilities somehow.

Reblogged this on Stahr Magazine and commented:
Talk about judging a book by its cover.
Here’s what really irks me about this–aside from the blatant homophobia and hypocrisy in airing other “questionable” NBC programs–KSL won’t cop to what they are doing.
I’m not going to eat at a Chic-Fil-A anytime soon (partly because of my morals, partly because it’s a Chic-Fil-A) but at least the owner spoke his mind.
Meanwhile KSL states “…we struggle with content…that might be excessively rude…scenes may be too explicit…characterizations might seem offensive.” That’s all well and good, except for the small detail that THE NEW NORMAL doesn’t air for two months.
So the “offensive” content is derived from the synopsis; two gay men trying to adopt a child.
So man up KSL. Anyone who hears this story knows you’re hating, stop trying to hide it.

At this point in time it’s really important for those with standards to uphold them no matter who comes crashing down on them. “If you stand for nothing you’ll fall for anything.” The thing people have to understand about KSL and Utah and Mormons is it is a culture in happy valley and if you don’t want to be a part of that culture…move. I’m lds and I didn’t want to be in that culture so I got out. It’s just the same as any other city or country even, with a predominant religion. It becomes part of the everyday culture of the people and that’s ok. Now some people are a little more extreme than others but the LDS church as a whole is a Christian church that strives to influence the world for good and put the will of God first, like many other Christian faiths.

I am not a Christian, but I FULLY respect the parts of Christianity that, as you put it, really do “strive to influence the world for good.” The problem is the strict adherence to dogma in places where it accomplishes the exact opposite. I hate that people think the will of God is to hate, denigrate, or belittle those who are difference from you. To me, that is not Christianity. I respect those who are able to maintain a sense of faith, yet do not support those aspects of LDS or other Christian doctrine that discriminate. Everybody’s allowed to believe what they wish (even if what they believe is offensive). What they are NOT allowed to do is impose their beliefs on anybody else, and that’s what KSL is doing here.

The issue with that is that we live in a country that gives us Freedom of Religion, so for the KSL to influence media and society as much as you’re making it seem I don’t really think that its a citizens responsibility to move as much as it is the community that needs to fight back and let them know that the entire community isn’t Mormon and might not necessarily agree with a certain stand point.

How can you believe that discriminating against your fellow humans is “moral”? That just utterly baffles me. No one is denying men and women the right to marry. That right should be open to all. Period. Equal rights for everyone is what is truly moral. Love is love is love, and religion has no place in law.

So, standing up for morals mean that you get to treat people like second-class citizens, then? Interesting.
By the way, not every straight couple chooses to have children or can have children. So if the fact gay couples can’t have children the “natural” way is the reason you’re against same-sex marriage, I sure hope you’re decrying the straight marriages that don’t produce children as well, then, since they aren’t doing the “proper” thing and procreating like God intended.

Gay people have children all the time – with or without medical intervention. To add, a great many heterosexual couple do not hve children for various reasons – including that they don’t want them. They get to be married and get the thousand plus benefits of state-sanctioned marriage, so that point he made was silly.

It’s funny. I thought this show looked good but I already watch a lot of shows and probably wasn’t going to start another one. But all the homophobic attempts to hurt this show have pushed me into watching it to support it.

Coming from the UK, I’m shocked that this actually happens — anywhere. Absolutely gobsmacked that this bigotry is allowed, especially given how many seem to be against it. The only people who come out of this looking badly are the LDS Church, not Utahns.

Yes, of course you are entitled to your beliefs, and your right to express them. I wasn’t denying you that. I just wish you could see that what you believe is actually restrictive of and hurtful towards others, and fully counter to the spirit of Christian belief. I fully respect your right to hold your own opinions. What I don’t respect is KLS enforcing their beliefs on other- which is, like anonymous said below, more like censorship than freedom of speech. KLS is not exercising free speech by pulling The New Normal off the airwaves. They are actually suppressing it.

Janie, that makes no sense. No one is forcing anyone to watch KSL. If you don’t agree with them – don’t watch them and don’t advertise on their affiliate. That’s your right. It’s KSL’s right to determine what is appropriate for their station. Not what is appropriate for the people of Salt Lake City – if they made the announcement that they were making a moral decision for everyone in Salt Lake City that would be wrong. They didn’t according to this article. They made a judgment for their business. Besides, if it’s imperative that people watch The New Normal – NBC will stream it on the Web and it will be available on satellite service and likely the iTunes and Amazon Instant Video.

Um, Janie is making perfect sense. KLS has pulled a program off their network because it positively portrays a gay couple, something they do not approve of. Their censorship is based on bigotry. No one has the right to bigotry.

Pure conjecture on your part. The statement was – and direct quoted from the Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, et al… “After viewing the pilot episode of The New Normal, we have made the decision to keep it off our fall schedule,” Simpson said. “For our brand, this program simply feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time.”

AKA – “We’re heinous bigots that want to control our viewing area by constantly barraging them with our (religious-based and utterly nuts) values and sensibilities. Never mind that we’re trampling on several guaranteed American freedoms in doing so – we’re the LDS, so suck it.”

If makers perefect sense – the church owns the affiliate and it’s trying to force it’s own religious agenda on the viewers of their exclusively represented region. At the end of the day, people are not legally allowed to dictate compliance with someone else’s beliefs (the state reserves that right). Frankly, the entire country is beyond sick of so-called Christians trying to bully everyone else into submission.

I am not a Utah resident, but after reading through the above comments, I find the name calling, accusations of homophobia & bigotry, anger towards the LDS church and their members, and all other negativity, is much more offensive than a TV station banning a TV show. The above comments make the state of Utah, LDS or non-LDS, look so intolerant and angry. So many people are fighting so hard for gay rights and marriage equality (which is completely understandable), but don’t you think that in order for them to receive these rights, they should also be just as tolerant of the LDS church and KSL for their beliefs? Please, on both sides, be respectful, be tolerant, and above all, show what kind of great people really do live in the state of Utah.

The LDS church is actively trying to ensure that gay people don’t have the same rights as everyone else. No one’s trying to do that to Mormons, who ironically enough were at one time persecuted themselves. How you can find a few comments on an entertainment website calling out their bigotry “more offensive” than what they have and continue to do with actions like this is dumbfounding. Why should we be tolerant of other people’s intolerance?

Not only is the Mormon church actively trying to ensure gay people don’t have the same rights as everyone else they are pouring millions and millions and millions of dollars into the effort all over the country.
So basically every mormon who has contributed to the church is paying for this onslaught against the rights of other people by the mormon church.

I wouldn’t expect a group of people whom the LDS church is actively campaigning to make into second-class citizens to be any more tolerant of the “beliefs” of the LDS church than I would expect slaves yearning to be free to the tolerant of the “beliefs” of their masters,

They have every right to not advertise it. They have every right to say “this show is offensive” or “We do not agree with the message it sent”. They could put a message before the show saying it’s utter crap for that matter and sent a message from satan they still be in their rights. That is freedom of speech. However no one have right to choose for other what to watch or read. And That’s that they’re doing.
KLS pulling the New Normal from their scheldule is exactly the same that any library pulling any book from the shelves. And since, apparently you can’t watch it on other network (when you can alway go to another library) it’s worse than that actually.

I don’t believe they are being racist or bigoted. They have the same right as every other business to do business the way they see fit. If the people who watch KSL don’t like it – they have the right not to watch that affiliate or advertise on it – period. The people who yell racist or bigot are more than likely the real racists and bigots.

Agreed. You don’t have to just accept every TV show offered to you just because someone made it. Whether on moral or financial grounds, every station has a right to decide what they will air and what they will not. They have their own opinion on the matter so who really cares? It is the digital age, so you can find that show through any number of different sources anyways!

It’s the principle of the thing. Yes, technically, KLS has the right not to broadcast a show, just like technically, the Chick-Fil-A guy has the right to express his opinion. But if their reasonings are based in discrimination (which it IS- there’s no denying that they pulled this show because of it’s portrayal of a gay couple adopting) then we have the right to get upset. And your last sentence makes NO sense.

I’m sorry you’re too dumb to understand. I’ll leave it at that. The sentence is simple and to the point – because KSL disagrees with your view – you call them bigoted – but in reality – you’re being bigoted by being intolerant of their view. It cuts both ways…

I’m afraid it’s you that is missing most of the facts here. The church isn’t allowed to choose for others, and this is not an unregulated business. They’d still be bigoted (and there isn’t a group in the US that’s more bigoted than the LDS – they’re working on KKK-level prejudice), but if this was a private cable channel, it wouldn’t matter. But it’s not, and it does.

Incredible assumptions again… I’m neither liberal or a Dem, nor do I care for Obama. (but like any sane person, I know that the LDS and Romney are way, way, way out of the American norm, and their posotions are unacceptable in modern society.

I’m sorry you’re too dumb to understand. I’ll leave it at that. The sentence is simple and to the point – because KSL disagrees with your view – you call them bigoted – but in reality – you’re being bigoted by being intolerant of their view. It cuts both ways…

Nice “I know you are, but what am I” retort, but not entirely true. If the affiliate is purposely withholding the show BECAUSE of the homosexual aspect of it then it is, by DEFINITION, bigotry.

“a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance”.

I’m Mormon and my issue with the show has nothing to do with the overtly gay characters. My problem is that from all the promos and clips being shown it does not look funny! It just strikes me as a Modern Family knock off. Doubt I would watch it even if it was being aired here.

And people, name calling and demonizing and all such towards Utah or the Church is just as bigoted as the stuff you claim about us. When you throw derogatory and one sided insults at another person you claim is being one sided, you are just calling the kettle black. You want to discuss about the situation? Calmly state your opinions in a civil and orderly manner. It will not get you anywhere to act like an internet troll.

But those are all reasons why YOU don’t want to watch the show (which is totally fine). But the problem is that it’s not acceptable in a modern society that has Constitutional guarantees of equality and the freedom of religion (which includes the freedom FROM religion). While the owners and other decision-makers for that channel are entitled to their own opinions, they should not be making those choices (clearly not based on science or reason, but based on their personal religious beliefs) for other Americans. There isn’t anything in this particualr show that is outside of everyday normal American situations, filtered though a comedic lens. It may or not be a good show, but that should be for the viewer to decide – not business owners foisting their religion on other people.

But you don’t understand that your “difference”- in this case, your differing view on gay marriage- is hurtful. Your “difference of opinion” means that you consider a lot of my friends and family as second class citizens. I respect your opinions in regards to the economy, legislature, taxes, et cetera- but not when it comes to civil rights. This does not make me a bigot. Was Martin Luther King a bigot for not respecting a racist’s right to be racist? No.

i’ll happily tolerate your religion – as long as it’s kept to yourself. I have no interest in infringing on your beliefs, as long as they don’t infringe on mine (at least any more than mine infringe on yours). I’ll happily defend the right to religion and non-religion – as long as science and reason (secular law) comes first. But respect? Nah… I don’t respect institutionally sponsored bigotry or the active harm that groups like Christians exact on other people.

Congrats to KSL. Finally somebody is standing up to Holywleird, NBC and their gay agenda. We have enough of this crap being shoved in front of us. Move it the LOGO channel where it belongs. And to all you morons out there it’s not bigotry when you don’t happen to like something.

If you don’t happen to like something than you don’t have to watch it. No one is making you. I won’t be watching it because Ryan Murphy shows suck after the first season but I think its wrong or an affilate of a broadcast network not to give people a choice.

You, my friend, are the absolute definition of bigotry. “Not happening to like something” unchangeable about an entire group of people you have never met? Bigotry. Judging your fellow human for being different from you? Bigotry. Thinking that the portrayal of a fictional loving couple on television is “crap”? Bigotry. People used the same reasoning as you have when arguing against racial integration. “I just don’t happen to like” black people. And guess what? They were bigots too. At least understand what you are. And there is no such thing as a “gay agenda”. We all want equality. Get out of the 1950’s and into the 21st century.

So…turn off the TV, then? Watch something else? I can’t stand Fox News, and I feel the Republican Party has taken their views and are trying to “shove” them down my throat. So should I go ahead and demand Fox News be banned, then? ‘Cause I don’t want to watch it, I don’t agree with the views. Or would that be unfair of me?
Also, there is no “gay agenda”. All gay people are asking for is being treated like equal human beings with the same rights everyone else gets. What about that is “weird” or equal to some sort of evil “agenda”, I do not know.
And yes, not liking people for something that is a big part of them and denying them equal rights IS bigoted. Very much so.

This kind of commentary is even more ignorant than the actions of the affiliate in question. The reality is that all anyone has to do is to change the channel if they find something offensive or not to their liking. This is censorship pure and simple. It’s a slippery slope for anyone to push their views on someone else. The simplest and most appropriate action by the affiliate would be to air the show and let the viewers decide.

There is this crazy thing called a remote control – and you can use it to turn the channel whenever you like. Stop trying to foist your absurd moral choices on other people. It’s unAmerican, and it’s no longer acceptable.

You Emma need to wise up. Gays CHOOSE their lifestyle so I don’t have to like it just as I don’t like people who choose to be murderers, rapists, abortionists or child molestors. Am I a bigot for not liking these people? I have two gays who live next to me and I could care less what they CHOOSE to do behind closed doors. But when their disgusting gay parties end up in the common area of our neighborhood for all to see do my rights as a citizen are heard loud and clear. And it ain’t bigotry.

You, TJ, are speaking absolute rubbish. All scientific evidence, and the experience of millions of gay people across the world, leads to the fact that gay people DO NOT CHOOSE to be gay. It is inherent in them, like being white or black or blue-eyed or female. Equating being gay with being a rapist or murderer is so offensive you have actually put my teeth on edge. So yes, you are a bigot for not liking gay people. You are a bigot for calling a gay couple “disgusting” just because they are two men love with each other.
And your hypocrisy is astonishing. I could not care less if the president of KLS is homophobic (actually, I DO care, but my point is his personal beliefs are none of my business). But when his personal beliefs are being infringed on others- “end up in the common area”, if you will- well, then there’s a problem. Feel free to live your life full of hate, buddy. I feel really sorry for you.

I’d love to see this scientific evidence that people like you go on about. I mean after all I possess a degree in Molecular Biology and am an MD and I have never read an article in any peer reviewed journal that has come to this conclusion. There have been some studies that showed the possibility of a gay gene that could be turned on or off in some animal studies, but I am still unaware of a gay gene being identified in the human genome. And I read a lot of journals to have missed it. But please, provide us with this scientific evidence.

You’re lying, Chuck, and I’be got the doctorate and the expertise to spank you until tomorrow. I don’t believe for one second you have those credentials, or you’d know better. It’s pretty hard to miss the multiple journals on the subject, or the millions of peer-reviewed pages therein. I really don’t tolerate people being disingenuous on this subject, or pretending to have expertise thay do not.

TJ – You are the one who needs to wise up. Being gay is a choice?!? Are you for real??? What backwards town are you from? I have yet to meet one gay person who is gay by choice. Why would ANYONE choose to live a lifestyle that is so frowned upon and demoralized by such prehistoric barbarians as yourself?

If the “gays” are having parties, it seems as though they are enjoying life. Something you seem to be incapable of with all of that hatred you have. You do, absolutely have the CHOICE to not like gays. Great thing about America, you have that freedom and you have rights. However, those rights that you take for granted, just remember….several straight, and yes, GAY people died while serving OUR country and protecting those rights that you are so fond of. You know, those same rights people like you think gay people don’t deserve, yet they’ll continue to fight for YOUR rights. Even for narrow-minded people like yourself.

Oh, and if you don’t like the term bigotry, I have a new one for you……IGNORANCE.

Get a life, get a grip, and better yet, get an education you idiot, because ignorance IS a choice.

1, no, it’s not a choice.
2, please don’t even start trying to equate homosexuality to murder, rape, abortion, or child molestation. Highly offensive, ignorant, and not even close to being comparable. Not. Even. Close.
3, awwwww, they have big parties? So…throw your own party, then? Or if the noise is too loud, call someone to come out and try and get them to be quieter? Or hell, go join the party and maybe, I dunno, MEET some of these gay people you claim to have a problem with, and get to know them? Just a few ideas for how a rational person would respond to such an issue.

TJ, I 100% support the right of KSL to not broadcast something they don’t want to broadcast – for whatever reason. They own the business – they make the decision. HOWEVER – are you the biggest whackjob in the world??? Murder, rape, child molestation are all violent crimes that harm another person. I might even give you abortion harms another person to a degree. But to equate being gay to ANY of those is just insane and makes you lose all credibility.

TJ, if you chose to be straight or chose not to be gay just accept the fact that you are bisexual. Don’t go into a bout of lashing out due to self loathing, just learn how to use your remote control. It’s really not that hard.

I’ve read post after post by you in this thread and to be honest, you are one of the name calling bottom dwellers that can’t help but to identify themselves. You seem to think that your opinion is the only correct opinion that could possibly exist and you attempt to berate everyone who doesn’t agree with you. You need to go take a long look in the mirror and figure out that you are not the tolerant person you think you are.

Temperance is intolerant of intolerance. It doesn’t make her a bigot, or a bottom dweller. You are seriously confused. Her “opinion” is that all men are created equal. Your opinion is that they are not. Therefore, her calling you out does not make her bigoted or intolerant. It makes her right.

I agree with you Joe (sigh)… I’m a gay man and just knowing that Ryan Murphy is the “daddy” of this creature called “The New Normal” is enough for me to know that a lot of the “comedy” will come from stereotypes and overall cheap shocking value… crappy indeed :P

Why can’t the station air the show and let the viewers decide whether or not they want to watch it? This is the epitome of censorship since they are forcing their beliefs on the entire community that they are supposed to serve. As an affiliate of a national broadcast channel, they have a responsibility to air the show and those that want to watch it can and those that don’t want to can tune into something else. This is the height of arrogance since they are elevating their beliefs to be superior and and more appropriate than all of their viewers. Despicable and narrow minded.

This is much ado about nothing. Private companies like TV stations have the right to purchase and show content allowed by the FCC and have the right NOT to purchase something as well. NBC has the right to sell their product to other affiliates in that market and if there is a buyer there will be a buyer. But no private company should be FORCED to buy something they don’t want. That shouldn’t be that big a concept to understand. Someone please forward Ellen Barkin a brain, apparently it was removed during her botched facelift. And please, I’m curious, for those that took an opposing view…what part of that don’t you get (no fair lying)? Private companies are like private individuals. How would you like it if someone made you buy something you didn’t want?

I sadly think the fear behind this show for KSL and a lot of the people who are with them on this is the fear that it will portray two men adopting a child in a positive light and send a message that a child could have a very similar upbringing to children with heterosexual parents. Unfortunately for them thats the case, this looks like an entirely wholesome (maybe not so funny) family comedy. I for one applaud the idea of taking the classic family sitcom and giving it this twist, because quite frankly this and Modern Family seem like the most accurate depictions of gay fathers that I’ve seen in a long time.

Damien, are you is such dire need of affirmation that you need a tv show to prove that two gay parents can be good parents. I don’t need a tv show to prove that to me. I already believe that to be the case. However, I also believe in the rights of a business – not a public entity – but a business to choose to express their opinion freely. They have not banned people from watching a tv show – they have simply stated that it will not air on their station. If you want to watch it – please find an alternate viewing method. Why is it necessary to make a mountain out of molehill?

Except Chick-Fil-A day was proof positive that many Americans are not willing ti simply allow people like you to push your way into their lives and force yourselves on them. This is why the gay rights movement won’t ever get my full support. You are acting like the people you claim to despise and are no better than them.

“Except Chick-Fil-A day was proof positive that many Americans are not willing ti simply allow people like you to push your way into their lives and force yourselves on them.”

No one is forcing gay marriage on anyone. No one will force you to marry a man. You have it backwards. Christian-based ideas are being forced on all of America, whether we agree with them or not, by banning gay marriage and promoting homophobia. Gay civil rights activists are completely in the right to denigrate those who would seek to make them second class citizens. They are in no way trying to take away the civil rights of straight people. Equating them is ridiculous.

Actually, Chik-fil-a showed nothing but a heinous bigot who funds groups that murder homosexuals (among other things), and brought to light what horrible, inexcusable things Chik-fila- a profits were paying for. The bottom line is that Christians are not going to be allowed to foist their moronic values on other people anymore. They’re welcome to have them, but they are not entitled to tell anyone else how to live. You’re simply having a temper tantrum because you are being forced to live in the real world where Christians are not the only viewpoint that being exhibited. It’s called America, baby – get used to it.

Not at all, as I said, this is what I know to be true. But seeing as the show has yet to be screened and it looks pretty wholesome that is the conclusion I’ve come to with this matter. Because God forbid a show portraying a gay couple in any normal fashion get people at all thinking. This show looks no more offensive than Law and Order or any of the reality shows NBC airs.